Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Shrub
Origin
Japan
Southern Africa
Types
Ophiopogon japonicus, Ophiopogon planiscapus
Carissa Carandas
Number of Varieties
504
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Damp shady woods, foothill woods, Lowland
Coastal bush land, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
6-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
10.20 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
2.30 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Lavender
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Indigo, Dark Blue, Black
Hot Pink, Magenta, Purple, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Oval to roundish
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Root Division
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Regular watering during dry periods
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Equal amount of N,P,K
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
Asthma
Mildly Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Borders
along a porch, deck or patio, Ground Cover, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antipyretic, Antiscrophulatic, Antitussive, Aphrodisiac
Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Root
Fruits
Other Uses
useful as a ground cover
Cake, Jam, Jelly, Sauces
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
OPHIOPOGON japonicus
CARISSA macrocarpa 'Emerald Blanket'
Common Name
Mondo grass, lily turf, snakebeard
Large Num-Num
In Hindi
Mondo Grass
नेटाल बेर
In German
Mondo Grass
Natal Plum
In French
Mondo Grass
natal Plum
In Spanish
Ophiopogon planiscapus
Ciruela Natal
In Greek
Mondo Grass
Natal Plum
In Portuguese
Mondo Grass
Natal Plum
In Polish
Mondo Grass
Natal Plum
In Latin
Mondo Grass
Natal Plum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Embryophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Liliales
Gentianales
Family
Liliaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Ophiopogon
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
5020
1
27800
👆🏻